Chris Turner in sensational bid to return to Hartlepool United as new boss

Ross Gregory

Former Hartlepool United boss Chris Turner has sensationally applied to become the club's manager - for a third time.

Turner believes he has 'unfinished business' at Victoria Park and has thrown his hat in the ring to be Pools' new boss as they face up to life outside the Football League.

Chris Turner at Victoria Park

Turner's first spell as manager of Pools, from 1999 to 2002 was a huge success, taking over the club when they were bottom of the Football League, saving them from relegation and turning them into promotion contenders before leaving to join Sheffield Wednesday just months before they went up to League One.

He returned to the Vic in 2006 as director of sport, before assuming charge of first-team affairs two years later when Danny Wilson quit, but sensationally left just two weeks into the 2010-11 campaign.

That was his last management job, with the 58-year-old employed as chief executive and director of football at Chesterfield until he was made redundant in March, but SportsMail can exclusively reveal he has now formally applied to replace Dave Jones in the Pools dugout.

A source close to Turner said: "Chris believes he can revive Hartlepool and reverse the downward spiral on the field. There's no secret about the club's problems on and off the field over a period of time and its almost like the open wound has been exposed for all to see.

"Pools face a very challenging summer and with Chris' vast experience in all forms of the day to day running of a professional football club, there will be no candidate better equipped to manage Hartlepool United than Chris Turner right now.

"Chris has a sense of unfinished business from previous spells and would want to build something long lasting, as he did previously in building teams seeking promotion. The National League is a very tough division to get out of and it would go down as a hugely important success for any manager who can turn the club's fortunes around and earn promotion into the Football League, that is the only aim, to win promotion.

"In his previous roles Chris built recruitment networks that paid great attention to the division Hartlepool are entering. Recruitment is going to be absolutely key to any footballing success in the season and seasons to come "

"Hartlepool means a lot to Chris for many reasons, both professionally and personally. Managers and owners come and go at every club but the fans will always remain and Chris wants to give those loyal dedicated supporters a team they can be proud of."

Turner could be seen as the experienced hand that Pools need in the National League, potentially working alongside a younger man like Sam Collins or Matthew Bates, who took charge for the last two games of the season.